A 21-year-old man was slashed across the stomach when he refused to hand over his mobile phone, police said.

The man, who was attacked as he walked through Knaresbor-ough town centre on Thursday night, needed stitches in a shallow six-inch stomach wound, but was discharged from Harrogate District Hospital the same night.

Harrogate police, who carried out searches and house-to-house inquiries, are now hunting for a smartly-dressed attacker who ran from the scene without taking his victim's mobile phone.

A police spokesman said the 21-year-old local man was walking along an alleyway connecting Castle Ings with Briggate in Knaresborough town centre at about 9pm when he realised a man was following him.

He was slashed across the stomach with some kind of blade after refusing to hand over his mobile.

His attacker is described as being in his early 20s, about 5ft 10in tall and of slim build. He was smartly dressed in dark trousers and a well-fitting grey jacket with a central zip, which had a logo such as Firetrap or Firestone.

He had dark-gelled hair and may have been unshaven.

Updated: 10:24 Saturday, February 16, 2002